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Original poster

anyone got shutters?

14 replies

haggis01 · 19/02/2011 19:28

My DP wants to get shutters for the front rooms in our house as he is obsessed about people seeing in and now won't let me open the curtains. They just seem so expensive and I was wondering if anyone has them and if they love them, are they easy to clean - has the top coating cracked or faded on the louvres? Do they stick out into the room (we have complicated architraving around the sash windows and the frames will probably damage them) Any thoughts or advice very gratefully received.

OP posts:
Fiddledee · 19/02/2011 20:51

Why don't you get blinds, you can get semi transparent ones that let in light or else one's that go up from the bottom so lets light in from the top. I had semi-transparent ones once and they were lovely.

MummieHunnie · 20/02/2011 09:16

I fancy getting some also, where did people get theirs from? Hillary's do some.

MrsSharp · 20/02/2011 18:55

I've never had shutters, and don't know much about them....watch out for a "really" helpful post! Wink

I love the look of them, when they're open....but wouldn't it feel really claustrophobic if you have them shut all the time? I close the curtains as soon as it's dark, but open them as soon as I am decent in the morning. I definitely think blinds or adhesive frosted covering things would be better - give you privacy but let the light in.

thinkingaboutschools · 20/02/2011 20:29

I did have shutters in one room of my previous house and loved them - they were fine. Not a lot of maintenance/cleaning etc and did protect privacy.

hester · 20/02/2011 21:22

You can open the slats on shutters, just as you do on venetian blinds. They do cut out a little bit more light, though, because there's the vertical frames.

I think they look lovely, but don't have them in our house because we don't have enough wall on either side of our windows to fold them completely back.

I think it comes down to what kind of windows you have, and what your budget is. A word of warning, though: I used Hillarys for my wooden venetians and I am still in dispute with them, a year l ater.

earwicga · 20/02/2011 21:25

I'd love shutters as they would keep the heat in. I really don't like curtains.

southeastastra · 20/02/2011 21:26

blimey no, they look too european and like everyone has gone out after a nuclear holocaust

MummieHunnie · 20/02/2011 21:28

Hester, what was the problem with Hillarys?

hester · 20/02/2011 23:30

mummieHunnie - they lost my order, twice. We paid them a hefty amount (they are not cheap, even with their constant sales) because we wanted good customer care in a hurry. In the event, we lived in a house with no window coverings for several weeks (we had recently moved into a high street house whose previous owner 'didn't believe' in curtains). I spent my life ringing up their helpline, who always promised to get someone to ring me back - and never did. When, eventually, my blinds were put in (nearly three months late) I wasn't very happy with the quality - they don't shut properly. I have now spent several more months trying to get that sorted. They keep sending me letters demanding the rest of the money, and I keep ringing back saying they haven't finished the job. They then promise to send someone round; they never do; eventually I get another letter demanding money.

What I will grudgingly admit is that this is all about the quality of the local salesman/fitter. If that person is good, I'm sure they are fine. But if the local guy is not good, then you enter the labyrinthine hell that is Hillarys customer care helpline, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

I am actually astounded that, one year on, they still think they've got a right to ask me for any more money (I've already paid half upfront). Next time I'll definitely go straight to John Lewis.

MortaIWombat · 21/02/2011 14:21

I'd be careful about John Lewis, hester: we put in an order for just over £3k's worth of bay window curtains last October, on the understanding that they would be made and fitted by Christmas.

Yup, still waiting.......

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 21/02/2011 14:27

I had Martin Sanderson around the other day trying to sort out my 'window covering' issue (as it's fondly called here). Three 'shutters' (235x105 times 2 and 140x105) £1860 - for PLASTIC shutters - he called them vinyl I think, but they were cheap plastic looking things - urgh (apolgies if anyone has them and loves them).

My place would absolutely NOT suit shutters (would look very pretentious) but he was not listening.

They had some nice blinds, but quite ££ and I don't want blinds.

Didn't think much of the Hillary's bloke/quote either.

With Hillary's though - aren't they all franchised??

Mind you... I do want the impossible!! Grin

titan · 21/02/2011 14:33

We have them in our living room, bedroom and bathroom and I love them. We got ours from here www.plantation-shutters.co.uk/. After some research they were the cheapest. We also have big bay windows. Apparently there are only a couple of shutter importers in the UK and all the other companies buy from them. So you would be getting the same product (made in China) whoever you buy them from. It's much cheaper if you go for MDF frames and basswood slats. The slats need to be a lighter wood for big windows as MDF is too heavy. You can get ones where the frames are also basswood or cedar or whatever but they are much more expensive and look the same as the MDF frames!

hester · 21/02/2011 20:25

John Lewis?! Is nothing sacred Shock

thinkingaboutschools · 21/02/2011 20:34

Mine were done by plantation shutters who were good

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